Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is good to see the Acting Leader. I welcome our visitors from Western Australia. I know they are no longer with us. My son is in Australia at the moment. It is very important we continue to have links with Australia, and it is great to see our visitors here.I also congratulate Breda Disney, as the Cathaoirleach did, on her service in a school in Newbridge. I congratulate her and Liam and wish them the best in retirement.

I want to raise the Housing Commission report, which was leaked or published - we are not sure which - this morning. The report states that this country needs a radical strategic reset of housing policy and calls for emergency action to address the housing deficit. It states we will need between 212,500 and 256,000 homes, based on the 2022 census figures. That is an average of 56,000 homes per year between 2025 and 2034. One of the report's 83 recommendations is that a housing delivery oversight executive needs to be established to drive co-ordination across legislation, regulation and administrative practice. I ask that the Minister for housing come to the House to debate this very important report. Senators on both sides of the House have been raising housing issues for the past four years. We are all out knocking on doors at the moment and housing is the number one issue I am hearing. The lack of housing comes up every evening when I am out canvassing.

I think the Croí Cónaithe grant is a very good scheme but unfortunately only 100 houses were completed under the scheme last year. We need changes to the Croí Cónaithe grant to ensure that the almost 160,000 derelict and vacant homes can be brought back into family use. This is an issue for so many people. For many of the 20,000 young people who have gone to Australia, housing was an issue. That is why this report has called for a radical reset. When Deputy Bacik proposed building 50,000 housing units per annum, it caused a lot of merriment but the Housing Commission has gone further in saying we need 56,000 units per annum. I would welcome it if the Minister for housing were to come to the House to discuss this very important report.

I also wish to raise meals on wheels services. We are all aware of great organisations which run meals on wheels, including in Kildare South. Unfortunately, many of them are stretched beyond their limits. I have encountered families who are considering putting their loved ones in nursing homes, etc. because they cannot cope with their meal demands. What is being offered to some families is a great service but we need to expand it and concentrate on areas where there is a demand for meals on wheels. I congratulate those providing the service at the moment but we need additional funding for those who need to keep their loved ones at home. We all want to do keep them out of hospitals and nursing homes.